Alexander Isak backed to rival Erling Haaland for Premier League Golden Boot

Alexander Isak has been tipped to mount a serious challenge to Erling Haaland for the Premier League Golden Boot — bolstered by the influence of his fellow Liverpool attackers.

Isak netted his fourth goal in five top-flight outings this season with the decisive strike in Sunday's victory at Bournemouth, extending Andoni Iraola's unbeaten run as Reds head coach. The Swedish striker sits second only to Manchester City striker Haaland in the scoring charts, having already eclipsed his Premier League tally from an injury-plagued debut campaign following his British record £125 million ($166 million) move from Newcastle last September.

Former Reds frontman Dean Saunders — himself once an English record signing upon his arrival at Liverpool in 1991 — is firmly of the belief that Isak is justifying every penny of that hefty price tag.

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"Isak is a contender to win the Golden Boot," he said. "By the way, if he was still at Newcastle, then Eddie Howe would still be there. If you lose your best strikers, you normally get sacked.

"I know it's a bit blunt, but if you look back on history, strikers get you out of trouble when you're not playing well. And against Bournemouth, Isak did it again.

"As long as you're keeping the ball out of your net, which Liverpool have managed to do considering they've got a new back four, while Isak's on the pitch there's always a chance for Liverpool to win the game.

"I can't look any further than Erling Haaland as Isak's main competitor for the Golden Boot."

Saunders believes Isak will be crucial to Liverpool's fulfillment of its objectives under Iraola. He has suggested that the goal against Bournemouth demonstrated how this Liverpool side is now configured to provide the striker with better scoring opportunities.

"When the season kicked off, a lot of Liverpool's success was relying on him," he said. "If he's injured all the time or not banging goals in, Liverpool will have a bad season. If he does, it will be the opposite.

"The goal he scored at Bournemouth was quality if you watch it back again. Liverpool had three players in the box when Cody Gakpo crossed the ball. He did brilliantly for the goal, getting down the right before putting a cross in.

"Wirtz distracts the first center-back across the near post, while Bradley Barcola is at the back post with the full-back, which stops him getting involved with Isak. They had bodies in the six-yard box, you get goals like that as a striker.

"When you play for teams who don't get bodies in the box, you find it really difficult to score. But it wasn't just Isak's goal, it was that Wirtz got across the near post and Barcola was in the box."

Speaking to Sveacasino, Saunders continued: "Isak tucked it away lovely. He's a good finisher, isn't he? It's whether he can stay fit, but there's no question about his goalscoring ability.

"Newcastle won't want to admit it because of the way he left, but they have missed him badly."